WARNING: SPOILERS.
Incredible and compelling character study about a young Russian immigrant man (Masó, in an unforgettable performance) who is forced into the world of male prostitution, while trying to cope with his inner demons.
Since "Midnight Cowboy" (1969) I hadn't seen a movie that completely draw my attention due to the main characters (I'm an action films fan) development, and Masó is very impressive in his film debut (his mainstream film debut as he made a pretty good experimental film called "Haunted Poland" before) as the naive Aleksandr who succumbs (Literally) to the dark side of his personality, the "Mr. Hyde" that every human has inside.
Masó carries the film well (I'm sure he'll be starring in mainstream films very soon), both as an actor, director and editor, according to IMDb, for which he delivers tremendously good. This was shoot on a shoestring budget, and it's admirable how it looks like a million dollar flick, with excellent music and photography. The supporting cast is very good, with special mention to Keith Dougherty, as the kind hearted Tom.
Even though it's a great film, it's not for all tastes, as some scenes may be too hard for some viewers, most of them are completely justified to feel the descent to hell of Aleksandr, so you can relate to this poor man's pleas. The shocking ending will haunt you a long time afterwards. For discerning and adult viewers.
Incredible and compelling character study about a young Russian immigrant man (Masó, in an unforgettable performance) who is forced into the world of male prostitution, while trying to cope with his inner demons.
Since "Midnight Cowboy" (1969) I hadn't seen a movie that completely draw my attention due to the main characters (I'm an action films fan) development, and Masó is very impressive in his film debut (his mainstream film debut as he made a pretty good experimental film called "Haunted Poland" before) as the naive Aleksandr who succumbs (Literally) to the dark side of his personality, the "Mr. Hyde" that every human has inside.
Masó carries the film well (I'm sure he'll be starring in mainstream films very soon), both as an actor, director and editor, according to IMDb, for which he delivers tremendously good. This was shoot on a shoestring budget, and it's admirable how it looks like a million dollar flick, with excellent music and photography. The supporting cast is very good, with special mention to Keith Dougherty, as the kind hearted Tom.
Even though it's a great film, it's not for all tastes, as some scenes may be too hard for some viewers, most of them are completely justified to feel the descent to hell of Aleksandr, so you can relate to this poor man's pleas. The shocking ending will haunt you a long time afterwards. For discerning and adult viewers.